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Library Consulting Services

The Library Development Department of the South Carolina State Library offers assistance to librarians, trustees, and other interested persons on all aspects of library development, library programming and library operations. In addition to general areas of library service, consultants have expertise in services to children and young adults, library management and planning, advocacy, public relations and marketing, outreach services, and much more.

Bookmobile Services

Library Development consultants provide advice and information to bookmobile services staff at public libraries statewide. We also offer the Bookmobile Exchange, an annual continuing education event for public library staff members to share ideas and learn more about innovative bookmobile services and technology.

Collection Maintenance and Preservation

South Carolina State Library staff members are available to provide assistance to libraries in the areas of acquisitions, cataloging, and preservation. A compilation of useful website links on material preservation is available at the link below. For more information, please contact Chris Yates, Deputy Director of Library Resources and Services.

Facilities Planning

The South Carolina State Library provides consultation services to public libraries for facilities planning and construction. Our Library Development consultants conduct workshops and visits to local libraries to orient boards and staff to essential space planning issues. The following documents and web-based resources are made available to assist in the planning for new library construction or renovations. For more information, please contact Kathy Sheppard, Director of Library Development, at 803-734-8653.

Friends of the Library Groups

The South Carolina State Library actively supports the work of Friends of South Carolina Libraries. FoSCL, a statewide organization, was created in the late 1980s to help foster, create, and support local Friends of the Library groups, and to provide networking opportunities for these groups to work together for the support of library services through out the state of South Carolina. Visit FoSCL

Legal Issues

Staff members at the South Carolina State Library are available to assist library staff members and boards of trustees with assistance in locating library-related legal information, its impact on the state's libraries, Attorney General opinions, regulations, ordinances, and more.

Public Library Trustees Services

Public library trustees have an important role to play in the development of library services in South Carolina. The South Carolina State Library provides training and consultant support to the public library trustee community. For more information or assistance, contact Library Development Services.

Public Library Director Services

The South Carolina State Library actively supports the work of the South Carolina Association of Public Library Administrators. SCAPLA is an association of public library directors whose goals are to share professional knowledge and experience for the good of all members, to serve as advocates for public libraries with the state legislature, to give voice to the aspirations of the public library community, and to serve as the primary liaison between the state library agency and the public libraries. For more information, visit SCAPLA.